Hourglass
by hairdresser blues
Summary: Her hope that he would return was something like grains of sand in an hourglass.  These days there were a spare few that had not yet slipped through to the other side, but a few grains remained.
1. one

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no claim to anything involved the I Am Number Four franchise. I just wish I owned Alex Pettyfer.

Hi there. This story is based completely off of the movie. I've never read the book, though I should probably get around to that one of these days. I haven't written anything in quite a while, so I hope you all enjoy this. Please give me feedback if you'd like to me to continue.

* * *

I.

Everything reminded Sarah of him. It had been five long years and yet her heart still raced when she caught a glimpse of shaggy blonde hair on the street. At least by the third year the battered organ had stopped leaping to her throat when there was a knock on the door, only to sink to stomach when it was never him.

Him, that's how she referred to the beautiful boy who had come into her life for such a brief moment it barely felt real anymore. The beautiful, inhuman boy that had changed everything she had ever know about life and love, the _universe _itself so quickly it was hard to believe he had ever been tangible. John, Number Four, whatever he went by now, he had to have been nothing but a dream to help her escape from the mundane world around her. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the dream had dissipated like a puff of hot breath in the bitter winter air.

Now all that was left was a few pictures she kept carefully hidden away.

Five years had gone by since she watched him drive away in Sam's fathers pickup truck. It had been three since she had last heard from him. Sarah had known it was coming. Each desperate correspondence had come farther and farther apart. Then they had simply stopped coming at all. There hadn't been a single short but loving text from an unknown number or hand written plea to remember him with no return address in three years. Her hope that he would return was something like grains of sand in an hourglass. These days there were a spare few that had not yet slipped through to the other side, but a few grains remained.

Her mother had gently suggested that maybe he would never return to their ironically named little town because he couldn't. She had danced around the word, but Sarah had heard her implication loud and clear._ Maybe he was dead_. She had demanded her mother say the words aloud. Sarah screamed and raged at the idea until the older woman finally whispered the horrible the possibility.

"Maybe John is dead."

The statement had hung in the air, choking Sarah as she struggled to breath it in. She couldn't stay in parents house after that. Not with the words forever echoing though the hallways and polluting everything around them. That very night she packed her bags and drove away from their idealist little two story craftsman that John had admired so much. He had saw it as a true home, something that he had never known. To Sarah it was nothing but a constant reminder of what she would never have with him.

It he had died somewhere out there trying to protect their insignificant little planet she would have felt it. Sarah knew deep down to the marrow of her bones that she would have felt the last breath he took. Still, the thought was a cancer that spread through her slowly. For all of the romantic notions she kept close to her heart, their story was hardly a fairytale.

Life went on. Sarah was incredibly good at going through the motions. She ended up doing exactly what her parents had wanted her to do. She received a two year associates degree at the local community college and became a dental hygienist of all things, doing wedding photography on weekends for cheap. Blushing brides and well lubricated groomsmen were all she took pictures of anymore it seemed. Before John she had been able to find a certain beauty in the ordinary. After John the most extraordinary thing she would ever experience, the simple things were suddenly stale and banal.

Still, life went on.

Angrily wiping a stray tear from her eye, Sarah filled a second glass of chardonnay and joined her roommate on the living room couch. Handing the glass to Cassie, she took a healthy gulp of her own and folded her legs underneath her in an effort to get comfortable.

"Pick your poison babe, Waiting to Exhale, (500) Days of Summer or The Notebook?"

Sarah took another sip of her wine and sighed. "It's your breakup. What are you feeling?"

"I might be a little too tempted to pull an Angela Bassett if we watch Waiting to Exhale," she mused as she inspected each of the DVD covers. "And I feel too much for poor Tom in 500 Days. Summer was such a unholy raging bitch..."

"We were going to end up watching The Notebook whatever I said, weren't we?"

A small smile pulled at Cassie's lips. "Yeah, pretty much. Let me just pretend that I have a Ryan Gosling out there somewhere for a little while please?"

"But of course. Who am I to deny a lady?"

"I'm definitely a lady."

"Evan was an asshole anyway, Cass. Cliche aside, you can do much better than him."

"I know," the girl sighed. "I definitely see why you don't date now. Either they're hopeless losers looking for someone to leech on to or dirty little piggies who'll stick it in anything with a pair of tits and a pulse. Or both."

"I don't believe that. You're just looking in the wrong places."

"I guess. You know what I don't get? How you can have an incredibly sweet and incredibly attractive guy with a _job _following you around like a little puppy and you won't give him the time of day. Sometimes I want to beat some sense into you with the nearest blunt object."

Sarah drained her glass and looked down at her hands. "Kyle is great but..."

"But it's not that easy," Cassie finished for her, rolling her eyes. "I don't understand why you're unwilling to at least try. Maybe if you finally told me why it's so complicated..."

"Uh uh. Tonight is supposed be about you."

Cassie rose from the couch and grabbed Sarah's empty glass. "Then indulge me."

"I really don't...think that's a good idea," Sarah finished weakly as she watched her disappear into the kitchen, knowing she wasn't listening, nor did she care.

After a little banging around Cassie reappeared holding a bottle of tequila and a bright smile. "Fuck the wine. It's not getting either of us anywhere."

"Where exactly do you want to go?"

"To that special, warm glowy place where I'm too shitfaced to remember douchebag Evan even exists. By how fast you gulped down that wine I'd say you'd like to go there too."

Biting her lip, Sarah contemplated what could possibly go wrong. At best they would get smashed and cry their eyes out to a chick flick or two. At worst she all of her secrets and failures would come spilling it out. Maybe if she paced herself scenario B could be avoided...

"I've got salt and limes," Cassie sing-songed, shaking the bottle enticingly.

"Alright," Sarah smiled reluctantly. "One or two can't hurt."

* * *

"Evan," Cassie slurred, holding the shot glass to her mouth and snorting. "He even has a douchebag name. Evaaaan."

"He dresses like a douche too," Sarah snickered. "Popping his polo collar with those stupid plaid shorts and boat shoes."

"Gawd what was I thinking?" Cassie groaned as she buried her head in her hands. "His idea of a date was to drive around town bumping shitty rap in the Escalade his mommy and daddy bought him. When he was feeling real gentlemanly he'd let me order anything I wanted from Taco Bell."

"And you let him go?" Sarah gasped mockingly. "He'll be the one that got away, Cass. I promise you."

Cassie smiled in amusement, but went quiet at the statement. After a short stretch of silence she finally asked. "Who got away form you?"

"How do you figure I've got a one that got away?"

"Oh come on Sarah. You're good at playing dumb but I don't buy it for a second."

Grabbing for the bottle, Sarah didn't bother with a shot glass. "He didn't get away. He just...had more important priorities."

"If he had priorities bigger than you than fuck him."

"If only it was that easy Cass," Sarah laughed bitterly as she took a pull from the near empty bottle.

"Nothing comes easy with you, huh?"

"I'm a complicated girl. What can I say."

" You could tell me about him."

"Would it really make you feel better?"

"Silly girl, this has nothing to do with making me feel better. I've watched you walk around like a fucking zombie for the past year with a fake smile on your face, and it kills me. What did he do to you?"

Hot tears burned at Sarah's eyes at Cassie's words. She had been so closed off for so long. Drowning in her own pain was all and well, but where did it get her? Maybe if she said the words out loud they would lose some of their power.

"He left, but it wasn't his choice. There are things out there bigger than us Cassie. If there's one thing I can thank him for, it's teaching me that."

"Oh, baby. Is some guy leaving you really worth all the pain you've put yourself through? You have to be lonely."

"I promised I would wait. I'll wait until the end of time if I have to."

"For what? Someone who's never coming back?"

"He will." Sarah insisted as irrational anger rose. Cassie was only going off of the very little she had been told. She couldn't fault her friend for not understanding.

"How long has it been then?"

"Five years."

"So you're just going to waste the rest of your life on some hope that this guy comes back? Fuck Sarah. You couldn't have even been legal when all of this went down. At that age it's nothing but bullshit puppy love."

"You don't understand!"

"Then tell me."

The tears she had been battling finally came rolling down her cheeks. Sarah wasn't the crying type, but the mix of alcohol and memories was too much for her. Soon sobs wracked her small frame as everything she had kept held in for so long came pouring out.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Oh honey, try me."

"His name was John." The statement hung heavily in the air as Sarah tried to find her grounding to continue. "He...I don't know how to explain this Cass. It's not my place to tell you any of this. I just know in my heart that he'll come back to me."

"I'm sure. You don't sound so convinced yourself."

"All I can do is hope."

"You're really going to spend the rest of your life alone because you've got some shred of hope? I love you Sarah, but that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. This guy has probably forgotten all about you by now."

A long time ago John had told her that his kind would only love once. She still held on to that promise like a lifeline, but Sarah would be a liar if she hadn't doubted it. So many times she had laid in bed at night staring up at her ceiling wondering if he had grown tired of holding on to her and forsaken love all together. What if he was out there with someone else right now? Sure, if he what he said was true he didn't love her, but she was _with _him. That was far more than Sarah could claim.

"He hasn't!"

"Sarah..."

"No! I don't believe that. He promised me Cassie!"

"Douchebag Evan promised me a lot of things too."

"He's different." It came out a broken, disbelieving whisper.

"I didn't..." Cassie struggled for words. "Fuck Sarah, I didn't mean...All I'm saying is that it's been five years. I know you still love him, but you could at least try to move on. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't, but it would be good for you to at least go out on a date."

"A date with Kyle you mean."

"He's head over heels for you."

"It wouldn't be fair to him."

"How do you know until you try? Maybe he's exactly what you need to forget."

Forget. As much as Sarah loved John, maybe that's exactly what she needed to do. Maybe he was dead. Maybe he had been lying and had moved on himself. Maybe, maybe, maybe. She didn't know anything anymore, expect that she was miserable and alone. Part of that was her fault. She had done her best to stay close to Paradise in case he returned. She had no one to blame but herself for losing all of her fight.

"Do you really think I should?"

At Cassie's scathing look Sarah sighed. "One date couldn't hurt. There's no real commitment in one date."

"Exactly. One date just says oh hey boy, you're kind of cute. Lets see where this goes. It'll be good for you."

"I've had a lifetime full of people telling me what's good for me. Look where that got me."

"God, I'm not telling you to marry him. Just go out to dinner and see how it goes. What could that possibly hurt?"

Her heart. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Look, I've known Kyle for a long time. He's not the type that's going to fuck with you. He really likes you Sarah. It's kind of pathetic how much."

"I guess..."

"Just one. I promise you you won't regret it."

"One date."

"That's my girl! It'll give me a chance to live vicariously through you once you realize you're soul mates."

"I said one date!"

"One date."

Sarah was going to do it. It might have been the tequila running through her veins, but Cassie was right. What could one date hurt? John was clearly not coming back anytime soon, if ever. She might fall in love with Kyle. She might not. Deep down she wouldn't, that just like the Loriens there was only one person out there for her, but did she really want to spend the rest of her life alone?

"One date."


	2. two

AN - The last chapter was short, and I generally try to produce at least 4000 word plus because I know how frustrating short chapters are. I also noticed quite a few typos that I'll get around to fixing. So to make up for it, I give you chapter to with post-haste. **Please read and review if you'd like me to continue with this story. **

II.

Kyle was perfect to a degree that Sarah found slightly unnerving. There was never a single hair out of place or a wrinkle to be found. He drove a nice car and was well on his way up in the architecture firm he worked for. He didn't seem to have any inclination to go whore around the bars with his friends or even stare at the waitress's excessive cleavage as she took their drink orders. He knew the perfect wine to accompany their meal, and ordered for her in perfect French. He was the type that knew exactly what he wanted out of life, and there wasn't a doubt in Sarah's head that he would achieve it.

He reminded her of John in that way. So young, yet so serious. But he wasn't John. There was no mistaking that. Regardless, he was handsome and intelligent, and for some reason far beyond Sarah he liked her, so she would try.

"I don't know if my sister let you know, but her and Ben were extremely happy with how the way the wedding photos turned out. She said you made her look ten times as beautiful as she really is."

Sarah smiled weakly at the mention of her wedding photography. "Your sister didn't need me for that. She looked stunning."

"She knows," Kyle smiled back. "She was just fishing for compliments. Have you ever considered starting up your own business?"

"No," Sarah shook her head, looking down at her plate. "It's just something I do to make sure my camera doesn't waste away. I'm all about teeth these days."

"That's a shame. You're very talented."

_I used to be_. It was on the tip of her tongue, but Sarah decided it was better to just take the compliment instead of opening that particular can of worms. "Maybe some day. Professional photography of any type is a hard business to break into."

"With the way she's gushing about the pictures and your price tag I'm sure finding business won't be hard for you at all."

"Well thank her for me. I'm glad she likes them so much."

"You don't get much happiness from it though, do you?"

Sarah looked up sharply at the blunt statement. Momentarily at a loss for words, she explained blandly, "It's a nice source of extra income. I don't really..."

"God, I'm sorry," Kyle cut her off as she fumbled for a lame excuse. "I tried so hard to get you to finally agree to go out with me and here I am already screwing it up. You don't have to answer that."

"No, it's okay," Sarah smiled softly, taking pity on him. "To be honest no, I don't. I used to want to be a professional photographer, but definitely not in the wedding photographer sense. I even had a website when I was in high school. It wasn't anything too extravagant, just candid shots of students and teachers. It got me into a lot of trouble actually."

"You were a little rebel, eh?"

"Not exactly. My calc teacher just didn't appreciate pictures of him picking his nose posted all over the internet. That was the fun of it though. I liked to find the beauty and humor in every day life."

"What happened? You're obviously talented enough to..."

It was Sarah's turn to cut him off. "Life happened. Hopefully someday I'll pick my camera up again, but for now I seem to have lost my inspiration."

"I wanted to be Spiderman when I grew up. I used to run around the neighborhood in this ridiculous homemade Spiderman costume spraying silly string at everything. I nearly blinded the neighbors cat with the stuff."

"Poor kitty!"

"Hey! In my defense that thing was pure evil. I still have a scar on my leg from where it sunk its claws into me."

"Then I suppose I should be saying poor baby."

"Damn right."

"I have to ask though. Are you telling me this to break any tension or are there some deeply rooted aspirations that I should know about before this goes any farther?"

"Nah, I hung up my Spideysuit a long time ago."

"Any lingering Spidey senses?"

"They tingle every once in a while."

As they both broke into laughter, real laughter, Sarah couldn't help but think that maybe it could work.

* * *

"I had a really good time tonight." It sounded lame to her own ears, but it was true. Sarah hadn't so much fun in what felt like forever.

"I'm glad," Kyle smiled widely. "I did too. I hope that we can do it again soon."

"I'd like that a lot."

They stood awkwardly outside of her apartment door after the obligatory small talk was said and done. Looking up at him, she knew he wanted to kiss her. He stood close, smiling down at her softly but hesitantly. It would be harmless enough. Sarah doubted he was the type to try to shove his tongue down her throat on the first date. Still a part of her, a large part of her was reluctant. She hadn't so much as thought of kissing a man since the last passionate goodbye kiss she had shared with John.

_John._

The realization that he had barely crossed her mind was a swift kick to her gut. Guilt rose sharply in her throat nearly choking her. Kissing Kyle suddenly felt like a betrayal, because that's what it would be wasn't it? John was out there somewhere fighting to save the world and here she was staring up into the eyes of another man thinking about what nice lips he had.

_He could also be out there somewhere banging Number Six. _The thought was bitter and unbidden, but hardly new.

But the betrayal was already done. The entire point of the date had to see if she could move on. Would a single kiss hurt any more?

"I should go in. Cassie is probably dying for details."

Kyle nodded, sticking his hands in his pants pockets sheepishly. "Yeah. It's getting late anyway...I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Sarah nodded in return and smiled. "Good night."

It all seemed to happen in slow motion as he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers in a soft, tentative kiss. Sarah made no move to deepen it. Instead she closed her eyes and enjoyed the nearly forgotten feeling of a set of warm lips against hers.

When Kyle pulled away he didn't seem disappointed that she hadn't taken the kiss further. He just smiled at her again and whispered, "Good night."

Sarah wasn't surprised to find Cassie waiting for her on the couch when she entered the apartment. The brunette girl took one look at her and lit up excitedly. "He kissed you didn't he?"

"What, were you creeping on us through the peephole or something?"

"No," Cassie pouted at the playful accusation. "But you're smiling. I take it went well."

"It was nice."

"It was nice? Really Sarah? Did you go on a date with a hot guy or did you have tea with your granny?"

Sarah rolled her eyes as she plopped down on the couch next to her friend. "I don't know what you want me to tell you. We went to dinner, we talked, he brought me home. And yes, okay, he kissed me."

"Ohh how was it? Was there tongue?"

"No tongue."

"That's so boring! Was there at least some under the table groping action going on at dinner?"

"What? No! He was a perfect gentleman."

"I wasn't necessarily talking about him. Not even a little game of footsie?"

"Sorry to disappoint you Cass."

Cassie sighed dramatically. "To each is own I guess. Are you going to see him again?"

"Yeah," Sarah smiled. "I think I am."

"You can thank me any time you want, sweetheart."

* * *

_"You know I wouldn't if it wasn't..." John struggled to explain. _

_"Safer," she finished for him as they slowly walked away from the group._

_"Yeah."_

_"I know." Sarah squeezed his hand to let him know she understood. It would be hell to be without him, but she understood. As they came to a stop she turned to him and said softly,"I'm sorry about what happened with Henry."_

_"Me too," John agreed blandly. She knew he was suppressing a much deeper hurt, but it was hardly to the time to address it. "You know I'll find you again."_

_"Probably still be here," Sarah said with a small smile. "It's the people that make the place right?"_

_"Yeah," John struggled to smile back as he gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Henry warned me we only fall for one person."_

_Sarah stared up at him, her heart squeezing painfully in her chest. "Ever?"_

_"Ever."_

_Then he grasped her face with dirty hands and kissed her so sweetly she nearly disolved to tears. He poured all of his love and regret and hope for an unknown future into that single kiss. Sarah clung to him, giving him everything he was giving her back. She would have gladly given him all of her if it meant he would come back to her, and she would when he returned. Until thenshe would have that kiss to hold on to._

Sarah woke with a start, her eyes wet with the tears she had fought back for him that day. She had done her best to stiffen her upper lip and be strong when all she had wanted to do was cling to him and beg him not leave. Alone in her bed she had no one to be strong for.

She would never be in love anyone but John. That was crystal clear to her. It had always been. She would love. Maybe it would be Kyle. Maybe it would be someone she wouldn't meet for years to come, but she would never be _in _love with them. That part of her was exclusively reserved for her beautiful alien.

And that was okay. It was the way things were supposed to be. She would find happiness because that's what John would want. It wouldn't be the soul lifting, all consuming happiness she knew that she would have had with him, but she would happy none the less. It's what she deserved.

Rolling over, she switched on her bedside lamp and reached under her bed and pulled out the box she had denied herself access too for years. It was a funny thing. Faces usually faded away with time. Sarah hadn't seen his since she had carefully placed the pictures in a shoe box to be tucked away, but she could still recall the details of his face when she closed her eyes. Regardless the need to look at him just once more burned through her.

Carefully lifting the battered top, she stared down into the box, hesitant like they would disappear at first touch. Gently removing the small pile of photos, she closely inspected the picture John had taken of her the night he had eaten dinner with her family. The night she had fallen in love with him. Setting it aside, she slowly took each of them in. A picture of his dog was next, followed by a shot of Henry unknowing that he was having his photo taken. Then there was John with his face illuminated blue from the mysterious light radiating from his hands.

The pain the sight of his face brought was a curious thing. It was sharp and swift, piercing her heart before fading into a warm pleasure. Her finger traced the familiar planes carefully. Over and over again she traced teh curve of his upper lip, the down the slope of his nose and across the sharp line of his jaw. Any single tiny detail that might have escaped her came back with full vibrant color. He was perfect. A strange otherworldly creature she was a fool to think she could ever keep.

A sob escaped Sarah's throat at the thought. It was time to let go. At least the best she could. Lifting the photo slowly she pressed her lips to his, lingering longer than what could considered sane.

"I love you John Smith. That was never a question."

Sarah went out with Kyle again on the following Saturday afternoon. They had coffee and then spent hours wandering around the Dayton Institute of Art before attending a screening of Steve Mcqueen's Bullitt. Kyle had been a perfect gentleman all over again. She had worried he had only brought her there because he knew she would enjoy it, but he had seemed genuinely interested in the art. He held doors and talked to her like an equal. It was a perfect as it could possibly be considering her company.

On the third date Sarah realized it wasn't an act to get into her pants. By the seventh he had fidgeted and blushed, before taking her hands in his and asking her to be his girlfriend. She hadn't been able to deny the hopeful look on his face. On date number ten she finally let him in them.

He told her loved after three months. It had been a cautious affair because if anything Kyle wasn't stupid. Sarah knew he saw the guarded look in her eyes that she was unable to suppress at times, but looking deep into them he told her that he meant it from the bottom of her heart. Again she hadn't been able to deny the hope on his handsome face. When she said it back it hadn't been a lie, at least not technically. She did love him in a way.

It had been five months now. Cassie was over the moon that she was moving on. For the most part Sarah truly was, but those few grains of sand would never finally trickle through to the other side of the hourglass.

Regardless she was happy for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Oh, honey, what in the world do you have going on here?" Sarah laughed as she stood on her tippy toes to peer over Kyle's shoulder at the pan on the stove.

Kyle frowned deeply down at the scorched mess. "It's chicken marsala."

"I'm sure that's how it started out."

"This isn't funny Sarah. I promised you a home cooked meal and I intend to deliver."

"That's very sweet, but also have a room of hungry, slightly tipsy people waiting for dinner. They might revolt if you make them wait much longer."

"I hardly believe our friends would stage a revolution over a little burnt chicken..."

"I say you've got ten more minutes tops before Cassie rolls out the guillotine."

"Does Chinese sound good?"

Snorting in amusement, Sarah pecked him on the cheek. "Order the house lo mein for me?"

"Anything my lady desires."

"Oh yeah?" she grinned up at Kyle as she grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pulled her too him.

"Anything at all," he grinned back, leaning down for a proper kiss. Their lips barely connected when Cassie called out for her.

"Um, Sarah?"

Groaning softly she pulled away and called back. "We'll eat soon Cass!"

"Yeah, whatever. There's a guy at the door and he's pretty fucking adamant about talking to you."


	3. three

AN: A thousand thanks to everyone that took the time to leave me a review. To show my thanks, I present you chapter 3. Drop me a line and tell me what you think this time and there will surely be more to come as quickly as possible (:

* * *

III.

Sarah wished more anything her heart hadn't seized in her chest before breaking into a rapid tattoo at Cassie's announcement. Here she was in another man's arms, yet the reaction had been instinctual and instantaneous . The unreasonable hope would be there forever whether she liked it or not. What would she would possibly do if it was him...

It's not him.

It's not him.

It's not him.

Sighing, she released her grip on Kyle's shirt. "You order, and I'll go see what this about, but tonight you're alllll mine."

"Promise?"

"I'm a woman of my word."

Giving him a playful if not slightly forced little wink, Sarah turned and took a deep breath to ground herself. She lifted her head high and made her way out of the kitchen. She was just being silly. It was probably some desperate groom in search of cheap labor or something.

It's not him.

It's not him.

_It's not him._

"How can I help..."

It wasn't John, but it was close enough.

"Sarah," Sam nodded at her in greeting. "Can I uh..come in?"

Cassie glared at him, looking too Sarah to gauge her reaction. The gasping fish stranded on land look was enough of an answer for the other girl. "Dude I think you need to leave."

"No!" Sarah nearly shouted, rushing towards the boy she hadn't seen in so many years. "Please, come in! We were just about to order dinner actually. You should stay! Anything you want. It's on me."

Sam smiled awkwardly and nodded again, shuffling past a still glaring Cassie.

"Um," Sarah scrambled for words. Looking around frantically for a way start, she took the safest route possible. "This is my roommate Cassie, and her boyfriend Luke."

"Is everything alright?"

Sarah froze at Kyle's question. Sam looked at her almost expectantly. "Yeah hun, everything is fine. Sam, this is Kyle...my boyfriend."

Sam's smile didn't reach his eyes. "It's nice to meet you all."

"So how about dinner?"

"Listen Sarah, that sounds great and all but this is a little more important than takeout. It's about John."

The sharpness in his voice took her by surprise. Taking a good look at Sam, it was suddenly clear he was hardly the nerdy little boy that had driven off into the unknown five years ago. He was taller and broader now, but most noticeably his eyes were icy and hard instead of bright and inquisitive like they had used to be.

"Oh."

She was going to have a heart attack. Her skin vibrated violently as it tightened around her bones. Suddenly it was suffocating her. Of course this was about John. A selfish part of her wanted Sam to just disappear. That part of her didn't want to know, not now that she was finally forming some semblance of a life again. But she would never turn him away. If John needed her it wasn't even a question of what she would do.

And if he was dead, she could finally put him to rest.

"Yeah, oh," Sam laughed bitterly. "Sorry to interrupt your little dinner party and all, but this is important."

"Of course," Sarah whispered numbly in return. "Let's, um..."

Looking around, she finally realized all eyes were on them. The looks she received ranged from the worry on Kyle's face, to curiosity on Luke's, to the suspicion on Cassie's. "We can talk in the bedroom."

Kyle and Cassie both looked they wanted to protest. Sarah shot her boyfriend a pleading look to understand, and glared briefly in warning at her best friend. The girl would probably be holding a glass to the door the second it closed behind them.

"Great."

The hallway to her bedroom was short, but Sarah felt like she was walking down an endless row of prison cells to her execution. Sam moved stiffly but efficiently beside her. He wasted no time throwing open the door when she stopped hesitantly beside and nearly shoved her in.

"How...how have you been?" she asked, ignoring his gruff treatment.

How is John?

"I've been just peachy Sarah," he bit out sarcastically. "I see you're doing pretty well for yourself too."

"Sam..."

"Look, I know it's been a long time and it's none of my business. It's not important right now either way. John needs you Sarah."

Her breath hitching in her chest, she managed to squeak out, "Oh."

"You're full of poetical magic tonight aren't you?"

"Excuse me if this all comes as a little bit of a shock."

"I'm sorry," Sam sighed after they glared at each other for a long, uncomfortable second. "John really needs your help."

"Anything," she whispered, staring down at her shaking hands. "Just name it and I'll do it."

"Your boyfriend probably isn't going to like it."

Looking up at him in surprise, Sarah snapped. "He'll get over it. I said anything Sam. I mean it."

His eyes softened at her tone. She knew she must have looked half crazed standing there with wide misty eyes and shaking knees. "He...he isn't well Sarah."

"But he's alive."

"I suppose you could say that."

"What the hell does mean? Where is he? Why didn't he come himself? What..."

"We did it, you know," Sam told her suddenly. His voice was emotionless to the point that it startled Sarah. "John and Six found the rest of them. It took years, but we did it. Years worth of fighting off wave after fucking wave of Mogadorians. Not...not everyone made it."

He stopped to take a deep breath for composure before continuing gravely. "Number Eight fell in South Africa during a particularly nasty run in. Number Seven didn't make it through the grand finale in Australia...It's been a long, bloody ride Sarah."

"Did you find your father?" Sarah asked him softly.

Sam's eyes turned cold again. "He wasn't as lucky as I am."

"I'm so sorry..."

Nodding sharply in acknowledgment, he shrugged. "There are more important things to worry about right now."

"John..."

"He's alive, but if you want the truth it probably would have been better if he wasn't. He's not right Sarah. They did something to him. They tortured him, fucked with his head until they drove him insane. He's just...not right."

At first the words coming out of Sam's mouth just didn't process in her brain. She heard them, knew the meaning of them, but together they didn't make any sense. Her entire body had gone completely numb in disbelief.

"Sarah? Are you okay?"

Eyelids fluttering shut, a violent sob broke out of Sarah's throat. She had no idea where it came from but once they had started there was no stopping the tears. Suddenly she was filled with such self hatred that it nearly brought her to her knees. Here she had been all of this time tucked safely away in her little corner of Ohio cursing him for leaving her. All the while he had watched the last of his kind die and endured torture so great it had made him lose his mind. Gasping for breath through the tears, she collapsed back against her bed and let it all pour out.

The bed dipped next to her as Sam carefully sat down. He placed an unsure, but comforting hand on shoulder. "He usually doesn't say much when he's conscious, but he screams for you at night. We think..."

"Oh god!" Sarah cut him off with a sob that shook her entire body. The dam had broken and now all of her regrets were spilling from her mouth in an incoherent flood."How could I?" How fucking could I Sam? Here I am telling myself I need to move on. He's not coming back. He forgot all about you. But really? Ohmygod."

"Sarah listen to me."

"I saw them that night. I had nightmares for so long about those monsters, but really they were nothing but dreams. I don't...I can't imagine...What did they do to him?"

"Sarah! You need to listen to me!"

It took a hard shake to finally snap her out of her hysterical state. Sam stared at her gravely as she sniffled and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. "I can't promise it will work, but the rest of us think that maybe you can bring him back. Everything else we've tried has failed. All he knows anymore is you, and you're his last hope."

"Where is he is?"

Looking away, Sam admitted slowly. "Not far. He's..."

Sam never got a chance to finish. Suddenly a terrible crash that nearly shook the entire apartment tore through the tiny space. They both jumped to their feet and flew from the bedroom at the sound. Sarah was so startled she nearly missed Sam's resigned sigh. At that moment she knew without a doubt.

The first thing she saw as she rounded the corner into her living room was Number Six all dressed in leather exactly like the last time she had seen her. With her hands firmly planted on her hips, she rolled her eyes when she saw Sarah. "I tried to stop him. So sorry about your door, love."

Sarah barely heard her. She barely took in the fact that the door to their apartment had been ripped from its hinges and now laid across their shattered coffee table. She didn't hear Cassie screaming obscenities or Kyle demanding to know what was going on and who these were.

Everything else cease to exist the moment her eyes landed on John Smith.

For a second Sarah was unsure if he could see her. He stared directly back but his eyes were wild and unfocused. His shoulders shook slightly, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His chest heaved with breaths so deep she wasn't sure that they weren't what was making his body shake.

"John."

Then there was a moment of clarity that flashed through his eyes. It was so brief Sarah might have imagined it all together. Either way, for just a second he was the beautiful boy she had known so long ago. His hair was slightly longer now. The locks where tangled and wild like the rest of him. He had been aged by both time and hardship. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his mouth was twisted into a scowl. She wanted nothing more than to brush his unkempt hair back from his face and smooth away his grimace with her fingertips.

Instead she stood frozen.

"This is a truly touching moment and all," Six's voice broke through the fog. "But maybe we should consider doing a spot of damage control? Johnny boy here did just rip a door off its hinges with his bare hands and throw it across the room. I'm sure no one noticed."

"Damage control?" Cassie shrieked at the deadly woman. "Fuck that! I'm calling the police right now to have them cart is happy ass all the way to the mental ward!"

"Mmm, how quaint. It barks. Sarah, do me a favor and shut your bitch up before I have to smack her on the nose with the newspaper."

"Excuse me?"

"Cassie, shut up. Just shut the hell up."

Cassie balked at Sarah's words. "You should watch yourself too! What the fuck is going on Sarah?"

Sarah nearly broke into hysterical laughter at the question. Where did she even begin to answer that?

"Come along then. I think the two lovebirds need a moment to catch up. Why don't we find a cozy little place and I'll tell you all about it," Six surprisingly came to her rescue as she smiled at her friends with fake saccharine sweetness. "Be a dear and get that door for me Sam?"

Kyle looked between her and a stock still John with a furrowed brow. Sarah was reluctant to let him go with Six, not knowing what she was going to say about her past relationship, but she didn't have much of a choice at the moment.

"You trust me don't you?"

"Of course I do, but Sarah..."

"Please. Just go and listen to them? It's one hell of a story."

"So he's the reason then, huh?"

"The reason for what?"

"That I can't have all of you."

"Now isn't the time to do this Kyle."

"Right," he laughed bitterly as he ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "You do what you have to do. Don't let me stop you."

"That's not fair."

"Yeah, well neither of leading me on all this time."

"I didn't lead you on! I didn't...god, I don't know how to even begin to explain any of this. Please just go with her for now?"

Kyle moved to take a step closer to her. John was in between them before either could blink, forcing her behind him and barring his teeth at the perceived threat. Even Cassie's bitching was silenced at the move.

"What the fuck _are _you?"

"I've got plenty of more magic tricks to show you kiddies," Six promised with a smirk. "But this show is over. Move a long."

Sarah watched as they all reluctantly filed down the hallway after Six and Sam. Kyle looked back other his shoulder and gave her a look that had nearly ripped her heart from her chest. The last thing in the world she had ever wanted was to hurt him, but it seemed it couldn't be avoided. There was nothing she wouldn't have done if it meant helping the man in front of her.

"Hey, it's okay," she whispered soothingly. Lifting a delicate hand, Sarah hesitated. Though he stood so close in front of her they might as well have been pressed together, an inch or two still separated their bodies. She was unsure of how he would react to her touch. "Can you hear me?"

When she received no response, Sarah decided to throw caution to the wind. She gently placed her hand on his stiff shoulder and tried again. "John?"

The contact seemed to spark something in him. His next movement was so quick that Sarah couldn't hold in the gasp that rose in her throat. John whipped around to stare down at her, his hands rising to gently grasp her arms.

"Sarah."


	4. four

AN: Thank you all for the lovely reviews. It means the world to me to know that people are enjoying this story (:

* * *

IV.

The familiar hands that held her felt somehow different to Sarah. They were roughened with time and hardship now, just like the rest of him. It didn't make the least bit of difference to her. Regardless of where they had been or what they done in the past five years, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were _his_.

John held on to her as though the barest bit pressure would make her shatter before his hazy eyes. His stared down at her, mouth slightly parted in disbelief for a long second before his calloused fingertips began to ghost up the exposed expanse of her arms. The barely tangible touch left goose bumps in its wake. Further and further his fingertips went, across her shoulders, dipping down to trace her collarbone before gliding easily up her fragile neck. He paused at her pulse point, pressing two fingers against it softly. His lips were moving silently, and Sarah realized her was counting the beats he felt. The gentle rhythm of her heart seemed to have assured him that she was flesh and blood, and not just another figment of his shattered imagination.

The fingertips carried on their journey with more vigor now. His hand stopped to cup the side of her face, his thumb brushing against her parted lips over and over again. Sarah couldn't help but nuzzle her cheek into his open palm and sigh. Not a word was uttered aloud, but they were wholly unnecessary anyway.

John's eyes were still clouded, but Sarah knew he was in there somewhere. He knew her, at least on some level, and that's all she needed to bring him back. She didn't care if it took the rest of her life, or what anyone had to say on the matter. She would do anything to have him look down at her like he was at that moment and truly know her.

"John?" she tried again softly. Reluctantly she turned her head away from his touch and looked at him squarely. "Can you understand me?"

No response. Sarah was not the type to be easily discouraged. Taking his hand in hers she lead him over to the sofa, carefully stepping over the remains of the coffee table her mother had given her. He sat down next to her with no prompting, choosing to sit so close their thighs pressed together.

"That's okay. We don't have to talk. Everybody is always talking but nobody ever really says anything."

The silence didn't bother Sarah. At that moment there wasn't anything in the world that could have ruined the high of sitting next to John. Hell, she had practically been floating since she had first laid her sore eyes on his form. So, instead of blathering on and on, she just rested her head against his shoulder and breathed him in.

Smell was a funny thing. All it took was a faint whiff of something familiar to trigger memories people didn't even realize they had. Sitting next to John was nearly overwhelming. He still smelled exactly the same. It wasn't like the expensive cologne Kyle liked to use, or god forbid the over bearing smell of half a can of Axe like her old high school boyfriend Mark. He smelled clean and natural. Soap with the barest hint of sweat on top of something that was uniquely John. She wanted to soak it in to her cells and hold it with her for forever.

Cassie let out an outraged yelp down the hallway and Sarah's temple throbbed. It was too easy to lose herself to John's presence. As much as she would have loved to just sit there with him and ignore the rest of the world, she needed to be practical. Soon enough she would have to face her friends and boyfriend. She already knew Cassie wouldn't want him to stay. Kyle...the look in eyes as he had followed Sam and Six to her bedroom had said it all, and he hadn't been wrong. It would never even be a question of who she could choose. If taking care of John meant she had to pack up all of belongings and take him elsewhere, even permanently say goodbye to the people she had grown to love, there would be no hesitation.

"Really Sarah? ALIENS?"

A small, slightly hysterical laugh tore from her throat at Cassie's exclamation. It had been so long since she had seen it herself it was almost hard to believe, but she had never forgotten. Somehow she had managed to suppress the image of her high school burning at her feet, but it had never really left her. Sarah had managed to suppress a lot of things. Her temple throbbed again when she heard the bedroom door being flung open so hard the door knob bounced off the wall.

"Oh this is cozy," Cassie snorted as soon as she entered the living room. "You couldn't have at least waiting until your boyfriend left?"

"Cassie..."

"Forget it."

Kyle refused to look at her as he made his way to the apartment entrance to grab his coat. He stared straight ahead as he slipped it on and made for the door, or lack of door really. Not bothering to turn around, he placed a hand on the displaced door and said, "I'll call you tomorrow Sarah. I need to...I don't really know. I'll just...I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay," she whispered weakly in return. What else could she say? Beg him not to leave? Tell him that nothing had changed? That she wouldn't choose John? The last thing Sarah wanted was to lie to him anymore. The way he hesitated told her he had wanted to hear something along those lines, but she couldn't do that to him.

Luke flashed Sarah and Cassie both a sheepish look and shrugged as he moved to follow Kyle. "It's been an interesting little party, but I need to get home."

Cassie frowned deeply, but pecked her boyfriend on the cheek none the less. "Okay babe. I'll see you later."

"Anytime. It was nice to meet you Luke."

Once they were gone, Cassie turned to Sarah and glared heatedly. "I suppose I don't have much say in this right?"

Sarah hopped to her feet to pace.

"We can leave if that's what you want."

"I really don't your merry little band of freaks running around here."

Sarah stiffened at her words. "That merry little band of freaks saved your life while you lived in blissful ignorance."

"Look, call me ungrateful if you want but I can't help but be a little fucking cautious of _aliens_."

"Then we'll leave."

"Just like that? You're going to just pack up and say fuck you to all your friends for them?"

"It doesn't have to be like this Cassie, but if you're going to make me choose then yeah, that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"God, do you feel even a little bit bad about what you're doing to Kyle?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then fucking act like it."

"And how am I supposed to do that? Kick them out and pretend like none of this ever happened? That's a little hypocritical don't you think? They're my friends too."

"I...how are you doing to do this Sarah? You work a 9 to five Monday through Friday, remember? You can't just quit your job to take care of him. And where is he going to sleep? In your bed? I'm sure Kyle will love that one."

"His name is John, and he can have my room. I'll take the sofa."

"Keep them out of my way, and the next time anything gets broken they're out."

Sarah smiled weakly. "I'll do what I can."

Cassie hesitated then. "Are...are you okay with all of this?"

"I'll live. I have to try to help him. You might not understand it Cass, but it was never a choice."

"Can he hear me?" Cassie asked as she carefully eyed the stock still John.

"I'm not entirely sure. I think so. He just doesn't really understand what you're saying."

"Well then, he's super hot and I can't say I blame you for holding on."

A reluctant smile pulled at Sarah's lips. "Yeah, that's exactly why I did it."

Cassie turned to glare at Sam and Six who lingered just outside the hallway. "Stay the fuck out of my way and we won't have any problems."

Six opened her mouth to lash out, but Sam nudged her roughly and gave her meaningful look. She scowled but kept quiet.

_This was going to be interesting. _

_

* * *

_

Sleep did not come easy for Sarah. The old couch was lumpy and uncomfortable, but that was the very least of her problems. John's glassy, unfocused eyes haunted her every time her own closed. She had dreamt of his return so many times, but nothing like this had ever crossed her mind. Laying in bed at night she would imagine a knock on the door in the middle of the night. She would rise slowly, still half asleep to answer. The door would open as if in slow motion, and there he would be in all of his inhuman glory. They would stare at each other for a brief, intense second and then she would be in his arms. With her legs wrapped around his waist they would stumble into the apartment, showering every inch of exposed skin in frantic kisses and whispering their love to each other. The thought that when she got him back, if ever, he would be broken had never crossed Sarah's mind.

It wasn't ideal, but he was there. John was within reach and that's all that mattered to her.

Closing her eyes, Sarah burrowed into her pillow in an attempt to get comfortable. They really did need to consider investing a new sofa...

"SARAH!"

The first scream had her flying upright. By the next she was on her feet rushing down the hallway as her heart nearly beat its way out of her chest. Throwing open her bedroom door, the sight that greeted her tore her to shreds.

John sat huddled in the corner near her closet, hugging his knees and rubbing his face against a disregarded piece of clothing she had left laying on her bedroom floor. He rocked back and forth mumbling to himself. At first Sarah didn't think he noticed her, but as she took a slow step towards him his head shot up.

"John," she whispered, dropping to her knees in front of him. "Shh, it's okay. Lets get you back in bed."

Sarah rose and grabbed for his hand. He gave no resistance she helped pull him to his feet and lead him to the bed. He laid down without a sound, and Sarah pulled the blankets up over his prone form to tuck him in. She sat on the edge and brushed his hair out of his face with a gentle hand. "I'm not far, I promise. Try to get some sleep for me please?"

John made no move to reply. Instead he sighed softly and closed his eyes as she had advised. Sarah smiled down at him before pecking him lightly on the forehead. "Good night John. I'll see you in the morning."

She got three steps away from the bed before he began to panic again. It started as a barely audible whimper but soon he was thrashing around and kicking frantically at the covers.

"Shh, shhh, John, it's okay," Sarah tried to sooth him as she rushed back to the bed. "I won't leave you. I'm not going anywhere."

Crawling in next to him, Sarah sighed. It was a weird mix of contentment and suffering. She would catch hell for being in bed with him in the morning, but it didn't matter. Instead of worrying about it, Sarah cuddled up next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Good night."


	5. five

So, um, I'm alive. I'm also extremely sorry it's been so long. I went through a rough patch there for a while, and I kind of forgot this story even existed. I hope some of you are still with me. I'll do my best to keep this going from now on. Enjoy!

* * *

V.

Sarah's eyelids fluttered as calloused fingertips smoothed over her collarbone before dipping dangerously low. They slowly traced the top edge of her tank top back and forth in a hypnotic dance. Her breath hitched in her chest as the fingertips grew even bolder as they glided over the space between her braless chest. The wicked fingers continued their plight down further and further until they circled her exposed bellybutton, before wandering upwards again. She nearly stopped breathing all together as a hand cupped her breast, squeezing the mound with the barest hint of pressure. Even bolder now they brushed lightly over hardened nipple. Zeroing in on exactly what she wanted, the fingertips came together to squeeze it through her tank top.

"John!" Sarah breathed out as her hips flew up off of the bed.

A low chuckle that vibrated against her neck was the only response she received. John amused himself by rolling her nipple between his fingers for a second before abandoning it to move on to the other. The lips that she had been deprived of for so long were hardly idle. His tongue leisurely perused the arched length of her neck as if he was trying to memorize ever inch. Sarah squirmed against him, her hands suddenly feeling itchy and so empty. Just as her hands came to rest against his naked shoulders, she suddenly found herself flat on her back, John's large hand caging her wrists above her head. He hovered over her so close that their chests nearly pressed together, a slow smile pulling at his lips.

"Nuh uh," he practically purred.

An embarrassing wheeze rattled her chest at the sound of his voice. The sound made him laugh lightly as he lowered his head brush his lips against hers. "I missed you so much. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of you. Was he worth losing me Sarah?"

"I...what?"

John was across the room now fully dressed and glaring at her with pure disdain. "I've spent every single moment of the last five years loving you. I fought with everything I had so I could come back to you, and this is how you repay me? You never really loved me at all did you? Humans are so fickle. A little time apart and you forgot all about me."

Scrambling from the bed, Sarah tried to plead with him. "That's not true! I never forgot about you! I was just so lonely and..."

"Save it. You made your choice. I hope he makes you happy."

"It's not like that!"

"Goodbye Sarah."

"No! "Come back! Please, I swear Kyle never really meant anything to me! It was always about you..."

But he was already gone. Whipping around wildly, she searched the room but John was no where to be found. Vaguely she felt her knees hit the ground, digging into the coarse carpet but the feeling barely registered.

With a small start, Sarah's eyes snapped open. The ceiling glared back down at her. John was still tucked close against her, soundly asleep, yet her heart still raced in her chest. The uncontrolled bitter laugh that tore from her throat next startled her.

"I didn't do anything wrong."

That wasn't true at all. Sarah had done plenty of things wrong in the past five years. She had completely lost hope in everything. She had completely lost hope in herself. For fucks sake, she was a _dental hygienist._ The last picture she had taken was an impersonally shot photo of a wedding party. The life she was living wasn't hers. There was no way. It had to be just a dream within a dream. There was no way that Sarah Hart was living in some shitty apartment on the outskirts of Paradise, Ohio working as a dental hygienist and part time wedding photographer. She was meant for much bigger things.

Only it was real. She had done this to herself. For a long time she had lied and told herself that she had done it for John. She had to practical after all. What if he came back? She had promised to be waiting. But he would have never wanted this for her. The John she knew from years ago would have wanted her to have everything she had ever wanted. It was just a lame cop out. The truth of the matter was that she was terrified of the real world outside of her little bubble. She had always been all bravado and no action.

Kyle was the very least of her sins against John Smith. He was just too out of himself to realize it. Sarah was not the girl he had known. The girl he had known, but she wanted to be desperately. She would make him better, even if it took the rest of her life, and when he was he would be greeted with an even better version of herself. John deserved much better than what she was now.

She wasn't doing it for him though. It was without a doubt part of her reasoning, but it wasn't the only. It wasn't even the most important part. Sarah was going to get herself back, because she couldn't live like she was anymore. There had been so many times she had laid in bed at night and let her self hatred overwhelm her, but she had never changed. For so many years she had chastised herself unmercifully for hours at night and then carried on picking at teeth. Not anymore. Sarah was going to be the woman John deserved. He had spent years fighting against an invisible evil while the rest of the world slept in ignorant bliss at night. He deserved much better than what she had to offer him at the moment. She deserved better too with our without him.

A peaceful smile pulled at her lips as she snuggled back against the man pressed against her.

* * *

"Get up."

Sarah groaned and tried to burrow into the incredibly warm pillow her head rested on. It felt like she had only closed her eyes five minutes ago. There was no way it was already time to get up for the day. Not to mention she was so comfortable...

"Not that this isn't adorable and all, but your freaky alien friends are here and they brought another one."

"Too early."

"It's eleven-thirty."

"I'll be out in a minute." The words came out a jumbled mess as she cuddled deeper into the covers.

"Don't make me resort to drastic measures Sarah. You won't like me very much."

"I already don't like you."

"Okay. You had your chance."

The bedroom door closed with a soft click as Cassie left, and Sarah sighed with contentment. It usually wasn't in her nature to sleep late, but she was still so tired. She had spent half the night trying to calm down John. Every time she had moved away it had caused another panic attack. Eventually she had thrown caution to the wind and cuddled up against him. She had barely fallen asleep before he was screaming from night terrors again. Not to mention her nightmare, nor the moment of terrible and fantastic self realization that had gripped her hours. Finally as the first rays of morning light had filtered through her bedroom window he fell into a more peaceful sleep. So had she.

Reluctantly Sarah cracked an eye open to take in her surroundings. It was no wonder she was so comfortable. They were completely tangled together. The upper half of her body lay almost completely over John's, with his arm around her waist and a leg thrown over hers anchoring her to him.

It was too easy to cuddle up against John's warm body again and forget about the world for a little longer.

Cold. That was the only thing that registered at first. Then wet. Eyes snapping open, Sarah stared at Cassie in shock. The other girl smirked back, rattling the cup in her hand. "There's more ice in here."

"Okay!" Sarah snapped at her, carefully pulling away from John. He needed to sleep. "I let you sleep when you come home drunk off your ass at four in the morning."

"And you could be sleeping too right now for all I cared if there wasn't another strange alien in our living room. This is your mess, you deal with it."

Shooting Cassie a glare as cold as the that had melted down her back, Sarah pushed past her. The sooner she dealt with whatever the issue was, the sooner she could get back to sleep. Besides, dealing with aliens sounded a lot of better than dealing with some of the other things she would have to face soon.

Like Kyle.

Self consciousness hit her hard as she turned the corner into the living room. Six was all dressed up in clinging leather as usual, but that was hardly the problem. It was the woman standing next to her with a bitter scowl on her face. Despite the sour look, she was still the most beautiful woman Sarah had ever seen. The woman was tall and lean like the rest of them, except she had an willowy, delicate quality to her. She had milky porcelain skin and long, dark hair hung down clear to her waist. It was her eyes though that really caught Sarah's attention. Wide, and lazer blue, they were hard to look away from.

"Um, hi."

The woman glared back icily, looking her up and down. "So, you're Sarah."

By this disdain in the woman's voice, she was clearly not impressed by what she saw. Nervously, Sarah tried in vain to smooth her sleep tangled hair. She must have looked particularly pathetic in her attempt, but no one commented. Sam, bless him, shot her a smile and motioned for her to sit next to him on the couch.

"Five, play nice," Six scolded lightly. "Good morning princess. I take it your sweet prince is asleep."

"Oh. Yeah, he is." She was on a roll. "Um, so..." Sarah tried again as she seated herself carefully. "I take it you guys are here to check on John?"

"How was he last night?" Sam inquired.

"He freaked out in the middle of the night, a couple of times actually, but as long as I was there he calmed back down. He finally fell asleep peacefully around six."

"Of course," the woman whom she presumed to be Number Five spit out. "I'm sure he's floating on a cloud now that he has his precious Sarah."

Sarah was a little taken back at the venom. Her mouth opened to say something in return, anything, but nothing came to mind. Number Five didn't miss a beat. "Close your mouth darling, it's highly unattractive and you don't need any help with that."

"_Excuse me_?"

Five completely ignored her, instead turning to Six and Sam with disbelief and anger written all over her face. "This is it? This pathetic little human _girl_ is the reason John and I can't be together? You have got to be kidding me."

Five's words hit their mark. John _had _been with someone else, a beautiful, powerful alien who could understand him completely, and she was holding him back. Because of some high school puppy love he had been unfortunate enough to discover, he would never be able to truly be with the woman he deserved. If Sarah hadn't been sitting, she probably would have crumbled on the spot.

"Hey!" Cassie snarled, opening her mouth to spit out a string of insults.

Sarah held up a hand to stop her. Instead she forced herself to her feet and looked and met Five head on. "This is my home and I'm not going to let you talk to me like that As long as John needs me, I'm not going anywhere. You on the other hand, unless you learn how to bite your tongue, need to get the hell out. Do you understand me?"

Five's eyes narrowed as she took a threatening step forward. "I think it's you who doesn't understand me Sarah. I could crush you without breaking a sweat."

"But you can't. Not when John needs me."

"I'm what John needs!"

"Then why is he here?"

"Because you tricked him all those years ago into thinking he was in love with you. How could he possibly love you? Look at you! You're completely insignificant. Once he's back, you're in for one hell of a surprise."

"Maybe," Sarah nodded solemnly, looking down towards her feet. "But it doesn't matter. John needs my help and he's going to get it, whether you like it or not."

"Poor pathetic Sarah. You'll see."

"Enough!" Six barked as Sarah's hands began to tremble. "It doesn't matter if you like it or not Five. You owe this to John. Now if you can't play nice..."

Sam snorted, "This coming from you..."

Six stopped to glare at Sam. "Choose your words carefully, _human_."

Sam glared back, rising to his feet. The heat was palpable. "Don't try to pull that shit Six. I fought as hard as the rest of you. I'm still here, and I'm sure as hell not scared of you."

"Ohhh," Six purred, "But you should be, Sammy. If you knew what was good for you, you would be terrified."

A wail from the bedroom cut their argument short. Sarah turned sharply on her heel.

Five was close behind.


End file.
